Maglev (derived from magnetic levitation) is a transport method that uses magnetic levitation to move vehicles without touching the ground. Generally, with maglev, a vehicle travels along a guideway (corresponding to the rail tracks of conventional railways) and can use magnets to create—lift and propulsion, thereby reducing friction by a great extent and allowing very high speeds.
Currently there are several categories of Maglev Systems, including without limitation, the electrodynamic suspension (EDS), the electromagnetic suspension (EMS) and the Inductrak.
In electromagnetic suspension (EMS) systems, the train levitates above a steel rail while electromagnets, attached to the train, are oriented toward the rail from below. The system is typically arranged on a series of C-shaped arms, with the upper portion of the arm attached to the vehicle, and the lower inside edge containing the magnets. The rail is situated inside the C-shaped arms, between the upper and lower edges. Magnetic attraction varies inversely with the cube of distance, so minor changes in distance between the magnets and the rail produce greatly varying forces. These changes in force are dynamically unstable, a slight divergence from the optimum position tends to grow, requiring sophisticated feedback systems to maintain a constant distance from the track.
In electrodynamic suspension (EDS), both the guideway and the train exert a magnetic field, and the train is levitated by the repulsive and attractive force between these magnetic fields. In some configurations, the train can be levitated only by repulsive force. The magnetic field is produced either by superconducting magnets or by an array of permanent magnets. The repulsive and attractive force in the track is created by an induced magnetic field in wires or other conducting strips in the track. A major advantage of EDS maglev systems is that they are dynamically stable, changes in distance between the track and the magnets creates strong forces to return the system to its original position.
The Inductrak system is based on the principle of electromagnetism to attain repulsive magnetic levitation. The levitation is attained during propulsion at a certain speed as a result of induced electricity produced by the short-circuited coils and the Halbach array permanent magnets. As a result the Inductrak system is less expensive than the previously mentioned two maglev systems (the EDS and EMS).
An advantage of a magnetic levitated vehicle is maintenance, because the vehicle floats along a frictionless magnetic guide way. There is no contact with the ground and therefore no need for any moving plates. As a result there are no components that could wear out. This means that vehicles and tracks would need no maintenance at all. Another advantage is that because maglev vehicles float, there is no friction and noise. Also, as a result the maglev vehicle can travel extremely fast, for example, about 500 kph or more depending on the environment in which it is cruising. If the vehicle travels along a vacuum, it can attain up to 800 kph or more because there is no wind resistance acting against its body.
However, there are several disadvantages with traditional maglev vehicles. Maglev guide paths are bound to be more costly than conventional steel railways. Most existing maglev systems require a continuous magnetic, electromagnetic or super conducting plate that runs the length of the guideway. This means it is costly to build just the guideway system. Relying on complex electromagnetic systems in the tracks, the existing maglev systems can cost tens of millions of dollars per mile.
The other disadvantage of the maglev vehicles is lack of existing infrastructure. For example, if a high-speed line between two cities is built, then high-speed maglev vehicles can only serve both cities but would not be able to serve other lines or normal railways branching out therefrom which require normal speed. This means that maglev vehicles are strictly limited only to high-speed lines and not flexible enough to serve other lines.
Despite its widely acknowledged advantages in safety, speed, and efficiency in transit applications, governments and transit authorities have been extremely slow to adopt maglev vehicles due to cost and lack of flexibility.
One of the primary objects of this invention therefore is to provide a magnetic levitated transport system that solves the drawbacks inherent to the existing maglev vehicle systems.
The present invention in one or more embodiments, relates to a magnetic levitation vehicle of any shape that levitates using magnetic fields to induce eddy currents in a conductive substrate, without having to necessarily be on a guideway. In particular, hover engines are described with a rotating configuration of magnets to induce eddy currents in a conductive substrate where the interaction between the magnets and the induced eddy currents are used to generate lift forces and/or propulsive forces.